Wycliffe Dreams of Becoming a Leader!

April, 2026

Last year, your gift unlocked the potential for a brighter future for Wycliffe. Since then, he and the Kamunyu Community of 300 residents have had clean, reliable water. Your contribution has made a significant impact. Thank you for making a difference!

"What I like most is that the water point is very close to our home. It only takes a few minutes to fetch water now. The water is clean, safe, and always available, which gives me peace of mind. I also like that I don’t have to struggle or queue for long like before. Fetching water is no longer a burden," said Wycliffe.

Before the Well Installation

Like many young people in Kenya, 17-year-old Wycliffe was responsible for collecting water to meet his daily water needs. Before last year’s water intervention, this task stole his time and negatively affected him.

Before the well installation last year, community members used scoop holes.

Drinking the water caused severe consequences. Many in the community suffered from waterborne diseases that created health problems, affecting their daily lives. Limited accessibility also meant people wasted time collecting sufficient water to meet their needs. The difficult journey to collect water sapped their physical and emotional energy, creating roadblocks. For Wycliffe, in particular, it reduced his opportunities to stay healthy and remain in school.

"Last year, getting water was one of the biggest challenges for me. I used to spend most of my evenings, weekends, and holidays walking long distances to fetch water for my family. The scoop holes and the dug well would sometimes dry up, and the water we found was often dirty. Because of the unclean water, I would get sick with stomach problems, and this made me miss school. All of this took away my time for studying and playing, and it affected my school performance," shared Wycliffe.

Since the Well Installation

Your generous gift last year was much more than a simple donation; it was a powerful statement about your commitment to this community and Wycliffe’s future. By supporting the water solution, you made clean water an everyday reality, fostering hope for a brighter future.

Wycliffe (blue shirt) pumps water from the well.

Reliable and clean water lays the groundwork for improved health, education, and economic possibilities, allowing people to thrive. We frequently hear from those we interview that "water is life!"

"Fetching water before the project was very tiring and stressful. I would walk several kilometers carrying heavy containers, sometimes more than once a day. The queues at the scoop holes were long, and sometimes we would end up with very little water. The whole process took many hours, leaving me exhausted and with no time for homework or rest. It felt like my entire day revolved around looking for water," said Wycliffe.

The Future is Looking Bright!

A year ago, you made a difference for Wycliffe and the rest of his community. This is just the first chapter of their story as access to clean water continues to improve their lives!

At The Water Project, we value sustainability and want to ensure that people continue to thrive. We commit to monitoring this project to ensure the water is always flowing and safe to consume. We inspect the system hardware, track water availability, conduct sanitary inspections, and collect water quality samples to identify risks. We work with our team on the ground to resolve them.

You gave Wycliffe a crucial tool for achieving his dreams: access to clean water. Together, we can excitedly expect that with this precious resource, his enthusiasm and courage will help him fulfill his dreams.

"My health has improved greatly. I no longer suffer from the stomach illnesses that came from drinking dirty water. I feel stronger, less tired, and more energetic. Because I am not sick all the time, I rarely miss school now, and I can concentrate better. The best thing is the peace and comfort it brings. Knowing the water we drink is safe makes us feel secure. Clean water also means better hygiene, better health, and more time to focus on important things like school and family responsibilities," Wycliffe said.

"My academic performance has improved. Now that I don’t spend hours fetching water or miss school because of sickness, I have more time to study. I can complete my homework on time, revise more, and attend school regularly. My grades have started going up, and I feel more confident in class. My dream is to study hard, get good grades, and build a strong career that will help me support my family. I want to make a better life for myself and inspire other children in my community. Now that water is available nearby, I believe it will be easier for me to achieve these dreams because I have the time, the health, and the energy to focus on my education," he said.

Navigating through intense dry spells, performing preventative maintenance, conducting quality repairs when needed and continuing to assist community leaders to manage water points are all normal parts of keeping projects sustainable. The Water Promise community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Kamunyu Community B maintain access to safe, reliable water.

We’d love for you to join this world-changing group committed to sustainability.

The most impactful way to continue your support of Kamunyu Community B – and hundreds of other places just like this – is by joining our community of monthly givers.

Your monthly giving will help provide clean water, every month... keeping The Water Promise.

Project Status



Project Type:  Protected Dug Well

Regional Program: Southeastern Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 300 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Apr 2025

Functionality Status:  Low/No Water or Mechanical Breakdown

Last Checkup: 03/31/2026

Project Features


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Community Profile

Report Submitted by
Alex Koech, Communications Officer

The 8600-person Kamunyu Community desperately needs clean, accessible water. Currently, community members must make a two-hour round trip at least once daily to collect water from dirty scoop holes. This is an exhausting and time-consuming task, and drinking the water collected puts everyone's health at risk.

"The strain of dealing with inadequate water supplies can lower the overall quality of life. Poor water access can also contribute to a general sense of insecurity and stress within the community," shared Field Officer Alex Koech.

"The difficulty of accessing water from distant or challenging locations often means that individuals, particularly women and children, spend a disproportionate amount of time and energy fetching water. This labor could otherwise be directed towards education, economic activities, or rest, impacting overall community productivity and personal well-being," Alex continued.

"Getting to know the community's daily way of life and how it is affected by water scarcity was touching for me," concluded Alex.

Community members waiting to collect water from a scoop hole.

The extraordinary amount of labor required to collect water is taxing. Seventeen-year-old Janet is familiar with feeling overwhelmed by the task.

"I feel bad when I am sent for water, but I have to respect my parents and understand the water scarcity situation in our area. The waterpoint is located far away, [and] has a low water supply due to the lack of rain, and many people depend on it. We experience very little rainfall throughout the year, and it is frustrating to have to walk several kilometers every day to fetch water," shared Janet.

Janet.

Once Janet arrives at the waterpoint after her exhausting journey, she often has to wait a long time to collect the water she needs. As a result, she often misses out on other important things or must leave with insufficient water to complete her necessary tasks, forcing her to make compromises that frustrate her.

"Sometimes people quarrel about who should fetch water first. When you come with several jerrycans, those with few jerrycans feel that they should water first because they will take a shorter time, even though you might be ahead of them in the queue," said Janet.

"I get very little water, which may not be enough for hygiene; therefore, I skip school sometimes until when I am able to clean my uniform."

Janet collecting water.

Janet is incredibly determined to follow her dream of becoming an accountant. However, she has been facing major challenges because she doesn't have consistent access to clean water near her home. This situation has been holding her back from reaching her full potential and making her ambitions a reality.

Solving the water crisis in this community will require a multifaceted system that will work together to create a sustainable water source that will serve this community for years to come. Our proposed waterpoint can only serve 300 people daily, so we are working to identify other water solutions. Our goal is to ensure everyone in the community has access to safe and reliable drinking water.

Steps Toward a Solution

Our technical experts worked with the local community to identify the most effective solution to their water crisis. Together, they decided to construct a dug well and sand dam.

Dug Well Near A Sand Dam
Once a sand dam is installed and has time to mature by gathering sand and silt, groundwater increases significantly in the entire area surrounding the project. This provides a reliable source of groundwater that wasn’t possible before. As a result, wells can be constructed to take advantage of the water stored and filtered in the collected sand.

During construction, we build a platform for the well and attach a hand pump. The community gains a safe, enclosed water source capable of providing approximately five gallons of water per minute.

This dug well will be connected to a sand dam to obtain water.

Community Education & Ownership
Hygiene and sanitation training are integral to our water projects. Training is tailored to each community's specific needs and includes key topics such as proper water handling, improved hygiene practices, disease transmission prevention, and care of the new water point. Safe water and improved hygiene habits foster a healthier future for everyone in the community. Encouraged and supported by the guidance of our team, a water user committee representative of the community's diverse members assumes responsibility for maintaining the water point, often gathering fees to ensure its upkeep.

Project Updates


April, 2025: Kamunyu Community Protected Well Complete!

The Kamunyu Community in Kenya now has a new water source thanks to your donation! We constructed a new protected dug well adjacent to a new sand dam on the riverbed. The sand dam will raise the water table and naturally filter water, while the well will provide a safer method of drawing drinking water for the community.

It could take up to three years of rain for the sand dam to reach maximum capacity because sometimes it only rains once a year in this region! As the sand dam matures and stores more sand, the surrounding landscape will become lush and fertile, and the well will fill with water.

"I will be able to get water nearby because I will no longer be going far looking for water from the distant scoop holes. I will be at ease during the dry season because I know we have enough clean water from the implemented project. I will be able to help my parents at home with various chores now that I have completed my secondary school. My health will improve because I will be drinking clean water, which does not expose me to water-related infections such as typhoid or amoeba," said 16-year-old Peter.

"My parents will have enough water to plant various vegetables and crops that they will be selling and earn an income. My parents will have enough funds to support my tertiary education, and I will be able to focus on my studies and get a good score," Peter continued.

Protected Dug Well Construction

Construction for this well was a success!

We delivered the experts, materials, and tools, but the community helped get an extraordinary amount of work done, too. They collected local materials to supplement the project, including sand, stones, and water. When all the materials were ready, it was time to dig in!

"The community was very happy about the project and exhibited a lot of dedication to ensure it was completed within schedule. They mobilized sand, stones, and ballast during preparation and came in large numbers during the construction of the project to provide their hard labor," shared Field Officer Alex Koech.

"I am hopeful about this group because they showed a lot of unity during the construction of the project. They are hardworking and support one another during times of need. They were very happy about the construction of the project because it will help them access water easily," Alex continued.

First, we excavated a hole seven feet in diameter down to the recommended depth of 25 feet. The well lining was constructed using brick and mortar with perforations to allow water to seep through. Now that the well is finished, sand builds up around its walls, which will filter the water stored behind the dam.

Once the well walls and lining were complete, we laid a precast concrete slab on top and joined it to the wall using mortar. The concrete dried for two weeks before installation.

Next, the mechanics arrived to install the well pump as community members watched, learning how to manage simple maintenance tasks. We installed the pump level with the top of the sand dam. As the dam matures, sand will build up to the top of the wall. Until then, people will use concrete steps to get water. After installing the pump, we gave the well another few days to dry.

We worked with the Kamunyu Mutwasya River Self-Help Group for this project. The members and their families contributed tremendous amounts of materials and physical labor.

Community Education

Our trainer worked with the field staff and community members to determine which topics the community could improve upon.

We trained the group on various skills, including bookkeeping, financial management, project management, group dynamics, and governance. We conducted hygiene and sanitation training to teach skills like soap and detergent-making and improve habits, such as handwashing.

We covered health problems in the community, good and bad hygiene habits, and disease prevention. Finally, we covered natural resource management as well as the operation and maintenance of the sand dam.

"The interest on the training content that was shown by the members was commendable, an indication that they were ready for transformation. The group is composed of very active members willing to adopt new behaviors," shared Mr. Koech.

Patrick.

"We have learned that it’s good to use latrines at all times rather than doing open defecation, for it’s the easiest way of preventing waterborne diseases that are orally transmitted through drinking contaminated water. Water treatment methods were well taught, and we noticed that it’s a practice that most of us have neglected," said 51-year-old farmer and chairperson of the Water User Committee Patrick Nzuki.

Thank you for making all of this possible!




January, 2025: Exciting Progress Coming to Kamunyu, Thanks to You!

The community of Kamunyu is eagerly awaiting the completion of their well. The well and its accompanying sand dam will work in tandem. The sand dam enriches the surrounding environment while storing water beneath the surface so the well can draw from it and provide clean drinking water.

Construction of the well will begin once the funding for the sand dam is complete. We eagerly anticipate this exciting moment and will share the news with you when it arrives!

We’re committed to keeping you informed every step of the way. Your trust in our process is vital, and we’re always here to answer any questions you may have.




Project Photos



Contributors

1 individual donor(s)